The present invention relates to the field of vertical blinds for covering window and door openings. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved vane carrier for positioning vertical blind vanes.
Blinds are drawn across openings to provide privacy, thermal insulation, and light sealing properties. For large openings, vertical vanes are drawn horizontally across the opening. The vertical vanes are hung from a top rail and hang downwardly due to gravity. When stored on one side of the opening, each vane is oriented perpendicular to the wall or opening. The vanes are drawn across the opening with a cord so that the vanes hand in the same orientation perpendicular to the opening. The vanes are then rotated with a baton, wand or cord operated mechanism to rotate each vane about a center axis so that the vanes are substantially parallel to the opening. In this position, the side edges of each vane overlaps adjacent vanes and the opening is concealed by the overlapping vanes.
Vane carriers located at the blind top are moveable along a rail track for transporting the vanes horizontally across the opening, and for permitting rotation of the vanes relative to the opening. The vane carriers are constructed to permit the attachment and detachment of the vertical vanes, and are typically formed with plastic or other light materials to reduce the overall blind weight. The vane carriers include a clip for insertion through an aperture in the upper vane end. The clip engages the vane aperture and holds the vane body as the vane is transported horizontally across the opening and is rotated about the vane axis relative to the opening.
The baton for rotating the vanes typically hangs vertically along one side of the blind. A gap typically exists between the baton and the adjacent end vane, and this gap permits light to filter through the blind. Although each interior vane is contacted by adjacent vanes on each side, the end vane closest to the baton only has contact with an adjacent vane on one side. The free vane edge is not contacted by an adjacent vane, and does not have the retaining force necessary to retain such vane parallel to the opening. Accordingly, gaps can exist between the end vane and the adjacent vane, thereby lessening the light sealing effectiveness of the entire blind.
For these reasons, a need exists for an improved blind capable of sealing gaps between the end vanes and an adjacent vane, and for sealing the gaps between the end vane and a baton operating the vanes.